Pittsburgh Unifies its Approach to Updating Stormwater Management

Aging infrastructure in Pittsburgh has resulted in sewer overflows and street flooding with more frequent and intense heavy rainfall under climate change. The Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority (PWSA) identified priority neighborhood and designed an integrated watershed plan utilizing green and gray infrastructure to improve water quality and manage stormwater.

County-Wide Collaboration Reduces Flood Risks and Insurance Rates

County of Barnstable, Massachusetts encourages municipalities to take actions that lower flood risks, which can reduce flood insurance premiums by earning credits through the Community Rating System (CRS). In one project, 26 mosquito-control workers cleaned debris out of the 1,500 miles of ditches, pipers, and other conduits that channeled stormwater away from buildings and roads.

Cleveland Metroparks — Cleveland Harbor Eastern Embayment Resilience Study (CHEERS)

Cleveland Metroparks worked closely with 12 community-based organizations and 40 stakeholder groups in restoring Lake Erie’s eastern shorefront. The team managed to conduct virtual and in-person outreach activities during the COVID-19 pandemic and develop a plan for 150 acres of park and habitat amenities, including 80 acres of newly acquired park land.

After Record-Breaking Rains, a Major Medical Center's Hazard Mitigation Plan Improves Resilience

In 2001, downtown Houston, Texas, faced an historic 1,000-year flood as a result of Tropical Storm Allison, shutting down the 700-acre Texas Medical Center Complex. While rebuilding the Center to withstand future floods, Texas Medical Center implemented a stormwater management plan that increases green space and improves water absorption through advanced landscaping techniques and permeable paving systems.

Hassalo on Eighth Green Roof

The Hassalo on Eighth community transformed a previously underdeveloped area—formerly a vast parking lot—into a vibrant, eco-friendly, 24-hour community minutes from downtown Portland. The development features green roofs, rainwater harvesting and treatment facilities, on-site wastewater treatment and reuse, infiltration systems, district energy, and natural daylighting.